Buying a Laptop: XP or VISTA?

:username:

Hi all @ MSE

I'm buying a laptop and i'm just wondering what OS to opt for?

The laptop will be used for my business so it will be a number cruncher etc.

Any ideas?

rash.m2k

Depends. If all the programs you require are all 32 bit then NO. If 64 bit then vista ofcourse.

albertross_2

It depends what you want to run on it, and what you want to plug into it, and whether you want to connect it to a domain.

:username:

Its just going to be a workhorse for Doc. spreadsheets, accounting and some light internet use. Probably have some comforts on there like iTunes but I won't be used for anything heavy!

xplora

:username: wrote: »

Hi all @ MSE

I'm buying a laptop and i'm just wondering what OS to opt for?

The laptop will be used for my business so it will be a number cruncher etc.

Any ideas?

I suggest you take XP for now. I am running vista and it has many compatibility and unstable issue. I've got more than 12 blue screens since i installed my Vista Ultimate! This could be the driver is not fully compatible with Vista yet!

Little_John

The cheapest way if you plan to want vista in the future is to buy a laptop with vista business or ultimate installed. those to versions of vista legally allow windows XP to be installed without having to buy a license for windows XP.

Wipe the laptop and install XP and away you go. XP is a better system I feel, much quicker yes I know you need a high spec machine to run vista happily but it is a ballache to use lots of the shorcuts used to get places quicker have been changed or removed I proberbly need to look at the system for a few more weeks to learn its workings but at the moment I don't recomend it to any customers.

wazza

Little_John wrote: »

The cheapest way if you plan to want vista in the future is to buy a laptop with vista business or ultimate installed. those to versions of vista legally allow windows XP to be installed without having to buy a license for windows XP.
.

how is that? when you ring to activate xp do you tell them your laptop had vista?

xplora

I only heard of upgrading to Vista for cheaper price by buying upgrade copies if you have Microsoft Windows XP anyway but i could be wrong

Little_John

It is called Downgrade rights search google and all is revealed in a word document from the microsoft website. it is only available to OEM versions and like I sad ultimate and business but it can be done, you just need an xp cd to do the install from and away it goes. you also may need to contact microsoft for the activation and they varify you have a vista licence that qualifies the same is also available for versions of office as well. It is so that people who have upgraded can also downgrade to get features that have been removed in the new software.

gremlin666_2

Id go for Vista for a future proof and besides buying XP is going to cost just as much as buying one with Vista so why buy an older platform. Vista is the most stable version of windows ever released and i've had no problems with mine its just being given a bad name because the hardware companys didn't bother producing drivers in time.

theCapt

Simply if you want every thing to work with your old/ existing equipment or new equipment get XP, if you are looking to buy completly new, then Vista.

Though be warnned not all new equipment works straight away with Vista (drivers, software).

In all honestly I'd wait at least another 9 months before getting Vista. There is currently no benefit of it and at the end of the day it is just another Operating System.